Surround Technologies extends Web-based Application to PDA’s, Cell Phones for United Consumer Financial Services

Modernized iSeries App turned Web Portal leaps to Mobile Devices

BLOOMFIELD, NJ – August 14, 2006 – Surround Technologies today announced that, through its services, United Consumer Financial Services (UCFS) has extended their Distributor Web Portal application to mobile devices such as PDA’s (Personal Digital Assistants) and Cell Phones. UCFS has long provided customized consumer financing for a range of customers, including Distributors like the Kirby vacuum organization. And improving customer service is central to building deeper relationships to fuel their continued growth.

That fact drove UCFS to employ Surround Technologies last year to web-enable their financial reporting application for their customers. The Web Portal upgraded the previous system by providing real-time access to finance contract details, approvals, and messaging through their IBM iSeries. UCFS and Surround made news at the time, being the first production application to be built in the LANSA 2005 application development environment, where Surround is regarded as an authority.

Surround Technologies CEO Lee Paul saw then the opportunity to broaden the reach. “LANSA uses a separate interface layer that makes delivering the application to a new interface simple,” he shares, “in fact, we did this development in a week.” Mr. Paul predicts extreme growth in mobilizing applications, “There’s too much to be gained with users so mobile.”

UCFS easily saw the appeal of mobilizing the application following its modernization. “Many of our customers are constantly on the go, so delivering real-time information to their handheld device provides a new level of support,” according to Sigrid Bundy, UCFS MIS Director. “We’re excited at the opportunity to better serve our clients.”

###